Sound recording and reproducing device



c. w. NYsTRoM SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING DEVICE oci. 2s, 1941.

Filed Nov. l5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Oct. 28, 1941. c, w: NYSTROM 2,260,861

SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODCING DEVICE Filed Nov. 15, 1957 2` sheets-sheet 2 BY awww LW a T ORNEY Patented Oct. 28, 1941 SOUND'y RECORDING AND REPRODUCING s DEVICE' Carl WilhelmlNystrn, deceased, late of Karlstad, t

Sweden, vby

Henrik IFabian Stenman,

ministrator, Karlstad, Swedenv Application' November 13, 1937, Serial No, 174,463

In 'Sweden July 6,1937

2 Claims. (C1. 27e-13) This invention relates to` sound recording and/or sound reproducing apparatus, and more specifically to suchapparatus of the turntable type.

In general, it is an object of thev invention to' provide a device of the character' described, which will eiciently perform the purposes for which it is intended, which is simple and economical of construction,v whioncan be expeditiously, conveniently and safely manipulated, and which can be readily manufactured and assembled. .A

Another object of the invention is to provide sound reproducing and/or recording apparatus wherein the stylus moves' in a straight' line; wherein the stylus-moving mechanism is adapt-v ed to absorb that part ofthe motion of the stylus which is partalien f by that mechanism or at least not to feed back anyV such motion or oscillation to the stylus; wherein the stylusmoving mechanism. is operated directl'ylfrom the record operating mechanism butv through a ree slient connection so that oscillations of thereoord operating mechanism are not transmitted to the stylus and its moving mechanism, or are at least diminished if transmitted; and whereinr the stylus-moving mechanism, as'. itv moves inl a straight line, is directed byguides which are. substantially one with the vgeneral chassis and base of the device.

Other objects of the invention' will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises'theA features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exe 'emplied in the construction hereinafter' set forth and the scopeof the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of thej nature and objects oi the invention, reference' should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

which:

Figure 1 is a View in elevation of a device embodying one form of the invention;

Fig'. la is a plan view of 'a portion of the lower surface of a turntable shown in'Fig. 1;'

Fig. 2 is an end View in elevation ofA the device shown in Fig. l, as seen from the right-hand end;

Fig'.'3 is a front view in elevation of a fled form'of the device shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the device shown in Fig. 3, as seen from 'the right-hand end;

simpli- Fig. r5 is a pair of Views of an element of the device shown in Figsa 1 4; and

Fig. 6- is an end View in' elevation, and partly in section, of a simplified-form of the ldevice shown in Fig. 1. j f y The 'present invention contemplates a ldevice for' reproducing sound; It is of the turntable type vand the stylus-which is in Contact with the impression discy on ,the turntable is preferably moved at substantially consta-nt, linear speed, at the point ofl Contact, with respect to the disc. The moving element is the disc. With such a device, the disc does not have constant angular velocity. Such mechanism gives animproved use of the limited space providedby the disc. The space is used with greater einciency than inv the oase of devices ywhich are driven with constant angular velocity. The vterm reproduction herein is intended generically to include the reproduction of sound onto a record disc and the reproduction of `sound-v as taken from the record disc. y l r Swedish Patent No. 78,929,` issued to Carl` Wilhelm Nystrom, April 2, 1931, describes a device wherein the recordmoves at constant linear velocity with respect to the stylus'. This result is obtainedy by means ci the coaction between a record-supporting turntable with'ra spiral groove and afriction wheel 0r similar devicehwhich fits into that groove and which, during the driving, is fed radially on a surface-oi the turntable. Specially recorded records are required forthis type of device. Recording machines used for recording of ordinary records cannot be used as the new records mustbe driven at yan almost constant linear speed at the point of recording. The principle of thedriving arrangements, as shown in the Swedish Patent No. 78,929, can also be used with advantage in recording. However, certain diiculties arise here because it is of importance that'th'e motion of the recording device perform uniformly and without disturbances or harmful vibrations. The* special recording device isv a part of the subject matter of the present invention. e

Although the driving arragement in itself may be of anykind desirable as long as it produces satisfactorily the running ofthe recordingdisc with approximately constant'linear speed at the point of recording, it is, as referred to above, well to use an arrangement in principle of the same'type as the one described in Swedish Patent No. 78,929. As shown in the drawings, I is a turntable. It may, in accordanc'ewith that patent, be' provided on its under side with ar spiral groove (see Fig. 1a). There is a rotatable driving wheel 2 for driving the turntable with which it is in contact. The wheel may, in accordance with said patent, be provided with a number of circular grooves which sit against the adjacent turns of the spiral groove. The driving wheel is fastened to a sleeve 3, which is connected to a rotatable shaft 4 in such a fashion that the sleeve and the wheel rotate with the shaft, the sleeve also being movable axially along the shaft. Motive means (not shown) may be connected to the shaft and a flywheel may be used in order to give the shaft a more smooth rotation.

The turntable which carries the recording disc I1, made of wax or the like, is positioned with suitable bearings on the vertical axle 5, the other end of which rests on the base 6. In order that the driving connection between the turntable I and the driving wheel 2 may be disconnected and connected again when required, mechanism is provided for a relative motion between the turntable and the wheel. As shown in the drawings, this may comprise two cams 1 and 8 on a rotatable axle 9. They are in contact with respective rollers I and II which are fastened to springs I2 and |3 respectively. The latter are fixed to braces I4 and I5 which carry shaft 4 so that the latter is rotatable about another axle I6. The axle i6 is rotatably fixed to the main chassis which extends upward from the base 6.

The shaft 9 may be rotated manually or otherwise by any suitable means so as to bring the rollers I0 and II into contact with shaft 4 or a ring thereon whereby the shaft 4 is pivoted about the axle I6 and the driving wheel 2 on shaft 4' is brought into contact with the turntable.

The recording device itself consists of a receptacle I8 having any desired mechanisms therein and a stylus 32 leading therefrom. The receptacle is carried by an arm 20 which is pivotally attached to a carriage or frame I9. This frame moves parallel with, and simultaneously with, the driving wheel as the latter moves radially. The cariage ist" borne upon one or more, preferably two, parallel guide rails 2| and 22 by means of wheels ISa. |95 and |9c, two of the wheels riding on one of the rails and one on the other. The rails may hav-e a circular crosssection. They are supported by two stationary blocks 29 and 30 which rise from the base 6.

The carriage is connected with the sleeve 3. l The connection may be by means of flexible leaves (see Fig. Leaves 23 and 23a are fastened to the carriage |9 and leaves 24 and 24a are connected to intermediate jointures 25 and 26 which are secured to the sleeve 3 by bearings 21 and 28. Element 23 may be attached to the frame I9, at the forward side thereof, as it moves toward the center of the record. Element 23a may be attached to the rear side thereof. The connections to the bearings 21 and 28 may be positioned so as to extend down around the opposite sides of the turntable. As shown, leaves 23 and 23a may be attached to leaves 24 vand 24a. 23 or 23a is flexible principally in one direction and 24 or 24a is respectively flexible principally in a direction perpendicular to said'one direction.

The above-described parts make it possible for the carriage I9, with its stylus 32, accurately to follow the radial motion of the driving wheel 2 without there being any disturbance or vibration, due to the flexibility of the connecting elements which allow bending and turning in different directions without interfering with the transmission of the principal motion from the driving wheel to the carriage. Furthermore, the latter undergoes an extremely steady motion, due to the manner in which it is borne along the fixed axles 2| and 22. This steadiness is very important especially in the original recording upon a wax disc.

The arm 2E) may be attached to the carriage I9 by a further spring means 3| whereby the pressure between stylus 32 and the recording disc I1 may be regulated. In order to eliminate disturbances caused by air currents, etc., the arm 20 may have its other end connected to shock-absorbing means 33, shown in the drawings as a movable piston in an oil container. The arm 20 may also be connected with lifting means such as the arm 34 and an eccentric disc 35. The operation of the device will be apparent from the foregoing. The stylus is carried toward the center of the record disc at the same time as the driving wheel. Stylus 32 keeps a position preferably directly above the driving wheel 2.

Figs. 3 and 4 show a simplified arrangement suitable for the home. In this case, the axles 2| and 22 are supported only at one end and elements 23, 24, 25 and 21 are omitted. The recording device as a whole can be removed by loosening screw 36 on block 31 and Adetaching connections 24a and 25a. If desired, there may be only two Wheels or rollers bearing on the axles 2| and 22. The latter need not be positioned parallel with shaft 4, although such a position simplifies the device.

Figure 6 shows al, device which is `further simplified. The receptacle I8 is supported by an arm 2U on a frame I9. The latter rides along a rail 2|, there being one or more rollers |9a between the frame and the guide. The frame I9 is rotatable about rail 2|. For example, as shown, the roller |90, has a grove which seats on top of rail 2| which has a circular cross-section. The guide rail 2| is parallel to and fixed with respect to a second rail. The latter, in this modification, gives strength but does not act as a guide. It is supported from the block 31 which rises from the base, not shown. Means for balancing the receptacle I8 are provided. As shown, they comprise an arm |20 fixed to frame I9 and extending in the direction away from receptacle I8. It has a counter-weight |2| slidable along it. The frame in this case, as in the others, is caused to move by means which connect it to the driving wheel. The motion of the latter along its axle is thus transmitted to the frame I9.

Since certain' changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, mightbe said to fall therebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination comprising movable reproducing means, movable means adapted for moving in substantially a straight line and for guiding said reproducing means substantially parallel thereto, a turntable, means adapted for actuating said turntable and said movable guiding means, and

resilient connecting means between said actuating means and said movable guiding means, said resilient means having one potrion principally 'f exible in one direction and having another portion principally flexible in a direction perpendicular to said one direction. r

2. In a device of the character described, the combination comprising reproducing means, a

fixed, straight, guide rail, a roller rollabie along..

said rail, a frame supported by said roller and carrying said reproducing means, a turntable,l

10 Administrator of the Estate of Carl Wilhelm Nystrom, Deceased. 

